


Crimson Wings

by HollyEDolly



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Angst, Dark, F/M, Feels, Hydra (Marvel), Love, Nightmare, Pain, Sadness, angel - Freeform, dream - Freeform, light - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-12
Updated: 2014-04-12
Packaged: 2018-01-19 03:09:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1453225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HollyEDolly/pseuds/HollyEDolly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You’ve set me on a pedestal. If I’m an angel then I have blood on my wings...you paint yourself as a sinner. A man unworthy of love, of forgiveness but you forget that all sinners can be redeemed. You can’t wash away the things you’ve done that’s not how it works. Whether you stay with Hydra or walk away you still have to live with the guilt of what you’ve done the only difference is, if you stay with Hydra you’ll keep on adding to it. All of us have to make a choice at some point between what is right and what is easy, that takes courage. Garett is a sociopath Grant he doesn’t care about the people he hurts but you do and it will destroy you” Why would she have blood on her wings? That he doesn’t get the rest makes perfect sense and that scares him. He wants to listen to her, wants to walk away from all of it. Go some place that no-one will ever find them, but no matter where he ran he’d never be free. He made his bed a long time ago all that’s left is to lie in it, he will protect her though he won’t break that promise.</p><p>“It’s too late” he repeats in a broken voice “You need to go Skye, leave all of this behind. Go somewhere safe, walk away while you still can” he implores her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crimson Wings

**Author's Note:**

> A dark, angsty series inspired by Skye's 084 status and Grant Wards "assumed" defection to HYDRA. This is a multi chapter story that will get quite dark as it progresses. Hope you all enjoy :) please feel free to leave constructive feedback.

“Was it worth it?” she asks, her voice isn’t spiteful or bitter. It’s not full of hurt or accusation, she sounds genuinely curious like she’s giving him a chance to explain. It’s more than the rest of the team would do. He thinks they probably hate him now, smart really considering what he is and what he’s done. She’s waiting her arms folded under her breasts, head tilted to the side. God he’s missed her, she’s as bold and brazen as she ever was. Those big brown eyes search his face, like she’s looking through him. Who knows? Maybe she is, she’s an 084 after all no-one seems to know what that means not even Garett.

“You’ll need to be more specific” he drawls, voice dripping with contempt.

“Was it worth betraying them? Your team? They’re devastated you know, they really did care about you” a note of sadness creeps into her tone.

“They’re not my team, they never were. I did what I had to do to keep my cover that’s all” he expects her to blanch at that but she doesn’t, her face gives nothing away. He finds that odd she was always so expressive before...before he left. She looks stronger now, older even. She’s still beautiful, her eyes are fanned by inky lashes, her hair falls in long waves down her back and her cheeks glow with a healthy blush. She’s perfection, she always was, it’s his only regret in all of this but it doesn’t matter now. Nothing matters but Hydra.

“You know for a traitor, you’re not a very good liar” a rueful smile pulls at her lips. He’s blindsided, he’d not expected this. It’s only been a month since he’d murdered Victoria Hand and those agents, his stomach clenched. So he pushed those thoughts away, he’d played this scenario in his head hundreds of times over the last few weeks. Obviously he’d over estimated her feelings for him; he shouldn’t care but for some reason that stung. She didn’t shout or scream; she didn’t cry or ask him how could he leave her?

“Is that so?” he tries to keep up the indifference but his mask is slipping the way it always does around her.

“Yes, Grant this is not who you are” her eyes are pleading now and for a moment he lets her light wash over him. Maybe it’s the glow from the solitary street light that illuminates her in this dark and squalid alley but she looks like an angel. Skye is everything he’s not she’s open and kind, warm and understanding, she’s the light and he is the dark. She’s too good for him and she always will be, he’s kidding himself if he thinks otherwise as Garett likes to remind him. He shudders when he thinks of John Garett being anywhere near her after the things he’s seen, the thought of any of those things happening to her makes his blood run cold.

“Skye this is exactly who I am and the sooner you realise that the easier this will be for you” he looks down; he doesn’t deserve to look at her.

“I don’t believe that, this is who he’s told you, you are” the first hint of emotion since she appeared in this alley, breaks across her face. The effect is glorious; her anger makes her look like an avenging angel. She’s pissed but not at him, he’d kissed her and then betrayed her she should be furious at him, she should hate him.  
“Garett didn’t make me like this neither did Hydra. Maybe if I’d met you sooner, maybe if my life had been different...but it’s too late Skye. You can’t save me” he breaths.

She walks towards him, her weapon holstered she still trusts him even now. Stopping right in front of him she raises her hand to cup his cheek “It’s never too late Grant. You’re right though I can’t save you; you have to do that yourself. But let me say this, the Grant I know stuck up for his little brother when no-one else would, he saved my life in Quinn’s compound, he took me under his wing and trained me, he jumped out of a plane to save Jemma, he took care of Fitz on his first solo mission, he helped find and rescue Coulson, he encouraged Fitz to reach out to a lonely and confused kid, he did everything in his power to save my life and he has constantly put himself in danger to protect me. That’s the Grant Ward that I know and that Grant, he’s worth saving because that Grant is more of a man than John Garett could ever hope to be. You are better than this, better than them” her voice never wavers and she holds his gaze. He’s taken aback by her passion and her conviction; he desperately wants to believe her. Leaning into her touch he sighs deeply, it’s no use because the man she thinks he is. Is just a lie.

“And what do I do Skye? S.H.I.E.L.D and Hydra it’s all the same. Whoever I work for I’m still just a killer, it’s in my blood. I’m poison...I’ll poison you, that’s what they want you know, they want me to...to make you like me. You have to go...I won’t let them taint you Skye...you’re my Angel; all I have left to believe in I won’t let them drag you into their Hell. I can’t promise you much but I can promise you that” he clasps the hand that cups his face.

“Is that what you really think? That I’m an Angel?” she’s incredulous, well she always did sell herself short.

“How could you be anything else? You’re standing here when you know what I’ve done, my hands are dripping in the blood of innocent people and still you’re trying to save me but you can’t. It doesn’t matter how much I try and atone for it, it’ll never wash off”

“You’ve set me on a pedestal. If I’m an angel then I have blood on my wings...you paint yourself as a sinner. A man unworthy of love, of forgiveness but you forget that all sinners can be redeemed. You can’t wash away the things you’ve done that’s not how it works. Whether you stay with Hydra or walk away you still have to live with the guilt of what you’ve done the only difference is, if you stay with Hydra you’ll keep on adding to it. All of us have to make a choice at some point between what is right and what is easy, that takes courage. Garett is a sociopath Grant he doesn’t care about the people he hurts but you do and it will destroy you” Why would she have blood on her wings? That he doesn’t get the rest makes perfect sense and that scares him. He wants to listen to her, wants to walk away from all of it. Go some place that no-one will ever find them, but no matter where he ran he’d never be free. He made his bed a long time ago all that’s left is to lie in it, he will protect her though he won’t break that promise.

“It’s too late” he repeats in a broken voice “You need to go Skye, leave all of this behind. Go somewhere safe, walk away while you still can” he implores her.  
“You know I can’t do that” she reaches up on her tip toes and presses a tender kiss to his cheek “This doesn’t have to be goodbye, it’s your choice. I’m not asking you to choose between Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D there are other ways to do what’s right. You don’t have to be part of an organisation for that. I’m asking you to choose between Garett and me because I won’t become a part of them. No matter how much I love you, I won’t sacrifice what I believe but I can always find another way to take them down” her hand drops to her side as she allows her words to sink in.

“What are you saying?” he’s not sure he heard her right.

“I’m saying that I’d give up everything but my soul for you and now you need to think about what you’d give up for me. Find me when you figure it out” she turns and walks away into the night, her footsteps echoing down the deserted alley.

“Everything” he whispers, his words like a prayer “I’d give up everything”

He shoots up in bed, cold sweat clings to his body. His breath comes in sharp bursts as his heart pounds in his chest. It’s just a dream that’s all it is, nothing more but even as he tells himself that doubt blossoms in his mind. It felt so real he remembers everything, her words, her touch, her kiss, even the way she smells like sunlight and vanilla. He’s dreamt of her every day since the fateful day he left her. His Angel, his hope she was gone and there was no going back not for him, he was a lost cause he always had been and he always would be. If her wings were bloodstained then his were broken.


End file.
